Modal verbs in French

In English, a modal verb is a verb which implies modality. In other words, it’s a verb which is used to express necessity, possibility or obligation, and is almost always followed by an infinitive. Unlike regular verbs, modal verbs don’t conjugate, meaning they have the same spelling and pronunciation regardless of tense or person.

French doesn’t have modal verbs. But that doesn’t mean French doesn’t have ways of articulating modality. It just means that in situations where you would use a modal verb in English, you would instead use a regular verb in French.

This is a pretty thorny topic of grammar, and it can be difficult to get your head around without seeing examples of how modal verbs work. So below we’ve listed the key modal verbs in English and how they are normally translated in French.

Can, May, Might - Peut-être, Pouvoir

To express permission or possibility in French, we can either use the verb pouvoir or the adverb peut-être.

In English, 'may' usually refers to the present or past, while 'might' usually refers to the future. French does not have this distinction; both pouvoir and peut-être can be used with any tense, as long as the verb is conjugated accordingly.

Examples

May I take your address and phone number? - Puis-je avoir votre adresse et votre numéro de téléphone ?

She can rely on us. - Elle peut compter sur nous.

Could - Pouvoir (conditional)

'Could' is the conditional form of 'can'. To translate it into French, we simply use the conditional form of pouvoir. To see how pouvoir conjugates in the conditionnel présent and passé, see here.

Example

Could you please speak a little louder? - Pourriez-vous parler un peu plus fort, s’il vous plaît ?

Must - Devoir, Falloir

In French, we can use the following verbs to translate the modal must: devoir or falloir.
Falloir is an impersonal verb, which means it only conjugates in the third person singular.

Example

I must call my brother. - Je dois appeler mon frère./ Il faut que j'appelle mon frère.

Should/Ought (to) - Devoir (conditional)

To express necessity in French, we use the conditional form of the verb ‘devoir’. To see how devoir conjugates in the conditionnel présent and passé, see here.

Examples

You should practise speaking French every day. - Vous devriez vous entraîner à parler français tous les jours.

Children ought to play outside more often. - Les enfants devraient jouer dehors plus souvent.

Would - Conditional tense

To express that something 'would' happen, we use the conditional tense in French.

Examples

I would like a new bike for Christmas. - Je voudrais un nouveau vélo pour Noël.

They wouldn't know what to do. - Ils ne sauraient pas quoi faire

Shall/Will - Future tense

English doesn’t have a future tense. Instead, we use modal verbs such as 'will' or 'shall' along with another verb to say that something will happen in the future.

In French, however, to make a statement about the future, you either need to conjugate the verb in the future tense or use the verb aller in the present tense.

Examples

I'll be honest with you. - Je vais être honnête avec vous.

We will be late. - Nous serons en retard.